Watch with hidden compartment

• US 20080037375A1
• Filed: 10/10/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hourpower Watches LLC
• Original Assignee: Hourpower Watches LLC
• Inventors: Nance, Paulette, Ellner, Brenda
• Granted Patent: US 7,433,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 368/88
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 37/0427 Mountings relative to pocket and wrist watches allowing a rocking movement about a hinge or any other movement covers and protective cases which may be removed completely either by direct removal or by sliding or turning G04B37/005; ornamentation and interchangeable parts of cases, modifying the external appearance of the clockwork G04B47/046
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 37/127 used as containers or cartridges means for incorporating a battery in the case G04G17/00

Abstract

A timekeeping apparatus having a hidden compartment. The compartment can contain permanent or removable psychological messages and/or printed messages, pictures or photographs. The apparatus has a timepiece which is pivotable relative to a backing. The backing has a removable door on its underside which is removed for placement of the message into the backing. The user can then lift open the timepiece to reveal the message in the hidden compartment.

Claims

1. A watch assembly comprising:

a timepiece having a watch dial and an underside;

a back assembly for supporting said timepiece, said back assembly including a housing and having a threaded rim;

a removable door on the outside of said back assembly, said door having a threaded back plate with a threaded rim therearound and a flat top side which is a message bearing member able to receive a message thereon, said top side having a support lip therearound;

a mounting member for mounting said timepiece on said back assembly; and

a hidden compartment formed between said back assembly and said timepiece for receiving said removable message bearing member, said hidden compartment being hidden when said timepiece is closed relative to said back assembly.

2. A watch assembly according to claim 1 and further comprising a transparent panel inside said housing, said clear panel being placed between said message bearing member of said removable door and the underside of said timepiece.

3. A watch assembly according to claim 2 wherein said transparent panel comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glass and plastic.

4. A watch assembly according to claim 3 wherein placement of said transparent panel in said hidden compartment creates an upper compartment between said transparent panel and the underside of said timepiece and a lower compartment between said transparent panel and said removable door.

5. A watch assembly according to claim 1 wherein said mounting member comprises a hinge interconnecting said timepiece and said back assembly, said timepiece being rotatable on said back assembly from a closed position to an open position, and said timepiece revealing said hidden compartment when said timepiece is in the open position.

6. A watch assembly according to claim 5 and further including a graspable member on said timepiece for rotating said timepiece with respect to said back assembly.

7. A watch assembly according to claim 6, wherein said graspable member has a surface for carrying a message.

8. A watch assembly according to claim 1 wherein said removable door is secured to said back assembly by a threaded engagement formed between said threaded back plate of said back assembly and said threaded rim of said removable door, and wherein said back plate of said removable door further comprises a slot on the outside of said door for receiving a turning implement to facilitate the screwing and unscrewing of said door with respect to said back assembly.

9. A watch assembly according to claim 1 and further comprising a locking device for holding said timepiece in the closed position.

10. A watch assembly according to claim 9 wherein said locking device is a pin assembly, said pin assembly comprising:

a pin extending from said back assembly;

a flange on said timepiece able to receive said pin, thereby locking said timepiece in place while in a closed position; and

a knob secured to said flange to facilitate the movement of said timepiece relative to said back assembly.

11. A watch assembly according to claim 1 wherein said message bearing member and said housing have substantially the same shape.

12. A watch assembly according to claim 11 wherein said message bearing member and said housing have a shape selected from the group consisting of triangular, square, circular, oval, octagonal, rectangular and polygonal.

13. A watch assembly according to claim 11 wherein said message on said message bearing member is selected from the group consisting of a visual message, a symbolic device, a picture and a photograph.